Improvement in hoese-shoes



T. B. BISHOP.'

HORSESHOE.

No. 61,990. Patented Feb. 12, 1867.

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IMPROVEllllllllT IN HORSE-SHOES.

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'lO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONGERNi Be it known thatl I, THOMAS 13..,BISHOP, of Baltimore city, countyof Baltimore, and State of Maryland, have invented a. new and useful Elastic Sole for Horses Feet; and I- dohereby deela'rethat the following` is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference beingl had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in whichi i Figure is a vertical Vsection of a. horses foot Vhaving the elasticsole applied toit;

Figure 2 is a transverse section of the foot and sole.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the bottom o f the elastic sole.

The object of my invention is to prevent injury-to the sensitive parts of horses feet, and thus avoid diseases which arise from this cause, by intcrposing, between the vsoles of the feet and the shoes, a cushion of.Indi. rubber or. some other suitable substance, which will aiord elastic bearing to -the feet-and allow'of a. natural expansion thereof. Also to so construct the elastic cushions or soles that they will cover the frogs and protect'l them from injurious contact with any hard substance', and protect th'e feet from becomiugfballed with snow or soft earth, all as will he hereinafter explained.

To enable others skilledi in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceedto describe one mode o f constructing and applyirigit.' l

The elastic cushion or artificial sole, consists'of n web, et, which is interposed between the shoe A and the sole of the foot, and a central portion, o, which covers the frog, as shown in thedrawings. The thin marginal portion a may bejnade of, any suitablefthickness.. and of such size'and shape. as to receive through it the nails which secure the shoot'ol the foot.' The interm'ediateior thickest portion b, which may, be termed un artificial lfrog, may be' made.l thickerthan the shoe A,.so that its bottoni surface willforrn an auxiliary tread and irictional surface to prevent thejanimal from slipping. .This artificial frog isi-'made so as to tlsnugly within the shoe A, and to extend vback` to the outer andinner heelport'ions thereof, as shown inthe drawings. It forms an elastic connection of .'thcl marginal portion a, and aA cushion which will protect: the frog from-contact'wil-h any hard substance, such las aistoneVnail, or' anything which might injure the animul.- lhis artificial frog also prevents the foot from accumulating vice andsnong orl what is commonly termed balling. Holes, c c, may be made through `this portion for the purpose of allowing of a.. 'free circulation of nii" to the frogfor. preventing the, foot .from heating', and if desirable the bottom surface o f this portion may be serrated -or roughcned inl a suitable manner to aord to'the horses feet a firmer hold and prevent slipping. T hus ittakcs s the place of ordinary culk's. j I I l V The artificial solo which I have ab,ove les`cribed -ma-y be'imade of anysuitable elastic substance, and I prefer to use 'vulcanized India rubber, which 'can be made ofthe proper form by means of moulds in the usual manner ofinanufacturing rubber articles, i i n v 4The most sensitive part'of a horso's foot is the'navicular joint indicated at y, iig. 1, the least injury to p which entails disastrous consequences. It is situated 'beneath and somewhat behind the 'coilin joint, and is' lined'throughiout by a delicate sccreting membrane for the supply. of the iluid necessary to the even sliding of the vtendon over the bone. Any diminution inthe quantity of .ilui l, either from inllnmmation of the membrane for-other cause, 'will lay the foundationfor fatal'disousc of the navicular joint. This 4joint-is so located that it lsustains nearly the whole vweight of the horse, and the concussione caused by'thc forcible collision of the horscs .feet upon hard, Vstony roadsY For this reason I employ an elastic cushionbetween the shoe and sole of the foot, and also beneath thefrog, which will' in a great measure protect thesensitive part'h'of the foot from injurious shocks, and at the same time allow u free' expansion of the foot and n normal growth.' In s ome sections o f the .country where `the rourlsa-i'e properly inc cadamized and free from' loose stones, the artificial frog b may be made very thin, or it may bc lispensed with entirely; I am now speaking of the frog proper. 'llherefore, while I prefer to use a protection for the frog in all cases, I do not confine my invention to its use in combination with the elastic marginal sole. In the drawings I have represented a horse-shoe, A, without calks und clip, and believe that the additional friction-tread or base which is nilorded'by the articialfrog .wi-ll renderunneccssnry the usecf projections-on the shoe, encept-.fo heavy draughthorses'.

This nventionis applicable. to the fee-t of `mules and, othcra'nimals used for the purposes that the horsc'is found useful for. i

2 I am aware that coverings for the frog of a. horses foot have been devised; also'that India-rubber devices confined between the shoe and th horses foot for thepurposes of formingr o cushion, and'also preventing ballingf have been devised; also that an India-rubber block arranged within the shoe, and fastened by lugs and'serews, hasbeen contrived;y therefore, my claim does not embrace such inventions.

Whit I claim as 'my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is l 1. The combination of the articial. calk b, and flange a, formed above the vbase of said calk, when the calli bears upon the' ground, and the flange is adapted for being applied between the hoof of the horse 4amd the shoe,

substantially in the manner shown and described.

2. The combination of 'air-passages L-,Iwtli the elastic sole or frog, substantiullyns and for the purpose described.

3. Serrating or groovng the bottom surface of the frog b, substantially 'as and for the purpose described.

4. The combined cushion and elastic frog or calla, constructed as described, thel same being a. new article of manufacture.

T. B. BISHOP. Witnesses SAML S. SMoofr, R.`T. CAMPBELL. 

